Differential gene expression in Phaseolus vulgaris I locus NILs challenged with Bean common mosaic virus

The Phaseolus vulgaris I locus-Bean common mosaic virus (BCMV; Potyviridae) pathosystem is of critical importance to bean geneticists, breeders and pathologists because of the worldwide distribution of both the virus and germplasm containing this resistance gene. In order to learn more about the molecular responses characteristic of this resistance gene, a cDNA-AFLP screen was conducted on homozygous NILs of P. vulgaris variety ‘Black Turtle Soup' (BT), containing either the I locus allele for resistance (BTII) or susceptibility (BTii) to BCMV. Eight conditions were compared in a factorial analysis: BTII versus BTii; mock inoculated versus BCMV inoculated; 26 versus 34°C. Transcripts induced in response to viral infection and that were further responsive to temperature, genotype or both were isolated and cloned. Sequence analysis of the resultant clones revealed several classes of putative genes, including transcription-related and signal transduction-related genes. Review of disease resistance literature suggests further avenues of research involving the candidates isolated in this scree

The risks of multiple breadbasket failures in the 21st century: a science research agenda

Thomson ReutersThis report stems from an international, interdisciplinary workshop organized by Knowledge Systems for Sustainability and hosted by the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future, with support from Thomson Reuters, in November 2014.Written by an interdisciplinary team of leading researchers, this report describes a science research agenda toward improved probabilistic modeling and prediction of multiple breadbasket failures and the potential consequences for global food systems. The authors highlight gaps in the existing empirical foundation and analytical capabilities and offer general approaches to address these gaps. They also suggest the need to fuse diverse data sources, recent observations, and new suites of dynamic models capable of connecting agricultural outcomes to elements of the global food system. The goal of these efforts is to provide better information concerning potential systemic risks to breadbaskets in various regions of the world to inform policies and decisions that have the potential for global impacts

Cambios climáticos y beneficios económicos en la utilización de variedades de frijol tolerantes a temperaturas altas para agricultores en Atlántida, Honduras.

Rising ambient air temperatures, migration, and deforestation threaten the sustainability of hillside agriculture in Atlántida, Honduras. Currently, farmers avoid climatic constraints to common bean production by planting at different altitudes during different seasons. However, this practice may become less effective because of climatic change. The analysis of historical weather data from 14 weather stations indicates that Honduras is undergoing climatic warming and GIS analysis shows a significant proportion of bean production under high temperature stress conditions. Farmers in ten villages in Atlántida, five at a lower altitude and five at a higher altitude, were interviewed in regard to their knowledge and experience with climatic change and bean production. Differences in bean production and yield between the low altitude and high altitude villages were attributed mainly to climatic constraints, due to differences in elevation. Under base scenario assumptions, a cost/benefit analysis indicates that the development and introduction of heat-tolerant bean varieties could produce significant returns and help to alleviate heat-related constraints on bean production.El aumento en temperatura ambiental, la emigración y la deforestación amenazan la agricultura sustentable en la zona montañosa de Atlántida, Honduras. Para evitar limitaciones climáticas, agricultores de esta zona producen frijol mediante siembras a distintas elevaciones. Sin embargo, esta práctica puede ser poco efectiva debido a cambios climáticos. Estudios de datos climatológicos históricos obtenidos de 14 estaciones meteorológicas indican que la temperatura ambiental en Honduras va en aumento. Estudios de información geográfica demuestran que gran parte de la producción de frijol ocurre en áreas donde las temperaturas son elevadas. Se entrevistaron agricultores en villas localizadas en elevaciones altas y en elevaciones bajas para determinar sus experiencias con cambios climáticos y el efecto en la producción de frijol. Las diferencias en rendimiento fueron causadas por limitaciones climáticas atribuidas a la producción de frijol a diferentes elevaciones. Un análisis de costos/beneficios indica que el desarrollo y la introducción de variedades tolerantes a temperaturas altas pueden resultar en ganancias sustanciales para el agricultor mediante la disminución de problemas asociados a altas temperaturas en la producción de frijol

Microsatellites to enhance characterization, conservation and breeding value of Capsicum germplasm

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Vulnerabilities to agricultural production shocks: An extreme, plausible scenario for assessment of risk for the insurance sector

Climate risks pose a threat to the function of the global food system and therefore also a hazard to the global financial sector, the stability of governments, and the food security and health of the world’s population. This paper presents a method to assess plausible impacts of an agricultural production shock and potential materiality for global insurers. A hypothetical, near-term, plausible, extreme scenario was developed based upon modules of historical agricultural production shocks, linked under a warm phase El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) meteorological framework. The scenario included teleconnected floods and droughts in disparate agricultural production regions around the world, as well as plausible, extreme biotic shocks. In this scenario, global crop yield declines of 10% for maize, 11% for soy, 7% for wheat and 7% for rice result in quadrupled commodity prices and commodity stock fluctuations, civil unrest, significant negative humanitarian consequences and major financial losses worldwide. This work illustrates a need for the scientific community to partner across sectors and industries towards better-integrated global data, modeling and analytical capacities, to better respond to and prepare for concurrent agricultural failure. Governments, humanitarian organizations and the private sector collectively may recognize significant benefits from more systematic assessment of exposure to agricultural climate risk

Findings from the Caring International Research Collaborative: Using Caring Science To Assess and Support Food Sustainability Systems for Women Living with HIV/AIDS in a Village in Cameroon

This study proposes Caring Science as an innovative way to facilitate food systems sustainability in areas of the world that continue to suffer from food insecurity and food shortages. An interdisciplinary group that included a nurse, an agronomist, an environmentalist, and a statistical analyst collaborated to study food sustainability in a village in Bambui, Cameroon. The village was composed of only women and children, and all the women were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. This interdisciplinary approach not only met the food needs of the village, but, within the assessment process, identified other needs as well. This interdisciplinary approach facilitated holistic assessment of food, finances, personal self-worth and health

Achieving food security in the face of climate change: Final report from the Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change

To bring our interconnected food and climate systems within a ‘safe operating space’ for people and the planet, the Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change has outlined seven major areas for policy action. Throughout 2011, the Commission worked to harvest the practical solutions detailed in the many recent authoritative reports on food security and climate change. By combining this thorough review of the substantive evidence base with the diverse perspectives and disciplinary expertise, the 13 Commissioners have crafted a succinct roadmap for policy makers. The Commission offers no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution, but rather points the way forward to foster national, regional and sectoral innovation that can aggregate up to meaningful global change

Achieving food security in the face of climate change: Summary for policy makers from the Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change

The Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change has reviewed the scientific evidence to identify a pathway to achieving food security in the context of climate change. Food systems must shift to better meet human needs and, in the long term, balance with planetary resources. This will demand major interventions, at local to global scales, to transform current patterns of food production, distribution and consumption. Investment, innovation, and deliberate effort to empower the world's most vulnerable populations will be required to construct a global food system that adapts to climate change and ensures food security while minimizing greenhouse gas emissions and sustaining our natural resource base. Greatly expanded investments in sustainable agriculture, including improving supporting infrastructure and restoring degraded ecosystems, are an essential component of long-term economic development. The sooner they are made, the greater the benefits will be